Shanghai weather in April

In April, Shanghai sees average daytime highs of 19°C and overnight lows near 12°C, with 104 mm of rain across 10.2 wet days and about 12.7 hours of daylight. It is the 7th-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 17°C in the first days to 22°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 27% of the time in April, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 18 min at the start of April to 13 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, April is Shanghai's 8th-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Shanghai's year-round climate.

Daytime high
19°
7th warmest
Overnight low
12°
6th coldest
Rainfall
104 mm
10.2 wet days
Daylight
12 h 48 min
5:32 AM – 6:17 PM
Cloud cover
65%
8th clearest
Wind
14 km/h
3rd windiest
Solar energy
4.95 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.9
out of 10

Shanghai is provincial-level municipality in China.

Air quality
Very high
PM2.5 37.7 µg/m³ · 2018
Density
3,923/km²
people per km²
Founded
1292

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in April

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs climb over the month, from about 17°C in the first days to 22°C by the end.

A typical April day in Shanghai reaches about 19°C in the afternoon and slips back to 12°C overnight — a 7°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 14°C and 24°C. Set against its neighbours, April runs about 6°C warmer than March and about 5°C cooler than May.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202530
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
11710
21710
31710
41710
51710
61810
71811
81811
91811
101811
111811
121911
131912
141912
151912
161912
172012
182013
192013
202013
212013
222113
232114
242114
252114
262114
272214
282215
292215
302215

How April really feels in Shanghai

Once humidity and wind are folded in, April averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

April sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Shanghai weather by month

How April compares with the rest of the year at a glance. April is the 7th-warmest and 6th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / 638.40.510.21.5
Feb10° / 628.70.510.92.2
Mar14° / 9611.30.111.83.8
Apr19° / 12°10410.2012.75.9
May24° / 17°12710013.66.7
Jun27° / 22°27014.50145.4
Jul31° / 26°15713.9013.83.8
Aug31° / 26°15414.8013.13.9
Sep27° / 22°10610.9012.26.1
Oct23° / 17°616011.27.4
Nov17° / 11°567.4010.45.8
Dec11° / 456.70.3103.0

Cloud cover in April

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 27% of the time in April.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 10% of April, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 63%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13763
23763
33763
43664
53664
63664
73565
83664
93664
103763
113664
123664
133664
143664
153664
163664
173763
183763
193763
203862
213961
223961
233961
243961
253961
263961
274060
284159
294060
304060

Chance of precipitation in April

Any precipitation

Shanghai gets around 104 mm of rain over 10.2 wet days in April. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 35% and peaks near 36% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202530
Rain chance (%)
136
236
335
435
535
635
735
835
935
1035
1135
1236
1336
1436
1536
1636
1736
1836
1936
2035
2135
2234
2334
2434
2533
2633
2732
2832
2931
3031

Humidity in April

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of April feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, April lands in the dry band about 68% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
1889300
28610400
38511400
48412400
58312500
68213500
78114500
88014600
97915600
107816600
117716700
127517800
137418800
147218910
1570191010
1670191010
1769191110
1867201120
1966201220
2064211320
2162211430
2260221530
2357231640
2455241740
2553241850
2650251960
2749251970
2847252070
2945262181
3043262191

Wind in April

Winds average 14 km/h in April.

Across April, daily wind ranges from about 14 km/h on the calmest days to 14 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202530
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
114light breeze
214light breeze
314light breeze
414light breeze
514light breeze
614light breeze
714light breeze
814light breeze
914light breeze
1014light breeze
1114light breeze
1214light breeze
1314light breeze
1414light breeze
1514light breeze
1614light breeze
1714light breeze
1814light breeze
1914light breeze
2014light breeze
2114light breeze
2214light breeze
2314light breeze
2414light breeze
2514light breeze
2614light breeze
2714light breeze
2814light breeze
2914light breeze
3014light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in April

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 18 min at the start of April to 13 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 54 minutes over April. Sunrise moves from 5:50 AM to 5:16 AM, and sunset from 6:07 PM to 6:27 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202530
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.35:506:07
212.35:496:08
312.35:486:09
412.45:466:09
512.45:456:10
612.45:446:11
712.55:436:11
812.55:416:12
912.55:406:13
1012.65:396:13
1112.65:386:14
1212.65:366:15
1312.75:356:15
1412.75:346:16
1512.75:336:17
1612.85:326:17
1712.85:306:18
1812.85:296:19
1912.95:286:19
2012.95:276:20
2112.95:266:21
2212.95:256:21
2313.05:246:22
2413.05:226:23
2513.05:216:23
2613.15:206:24
2713.15:196:25
2813.15:186:25
2913.15:176:26
3013.25:166:27

Solar energy in April

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in April, about 4.95 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.47 kWh/m² to a high of 5.31 kWh/m² in July across the year — April's 4.95 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202530
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.5Bright
24.6Bright
34.6Bright
44.6Bright
54.7Bright
64.7Bright
74.7Bright
84.8Bright
94.8Bright
104.8Bright
114.8Bright
124.8Bright
134.9Bright
144.9Bright
154.9Bright
164.9Bright
174.9Bright
185.0Bright
195.0Bright
205.0Bright
215.0Bright
225.0Bright
235.1Bright
245.1Bright
255.1Bright
265.2Bright
275.2Bright
285.2Bright
295.2Bright
305.2Bright
Planning a trip in April

Hazard calendar for Shanghai

In seasonPeak

In April, Shanghai sits inside its pacific typhoon season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Shanghai sits in the Pacific typhoon belt; the season peaks July–October.

Shanghai's rainy season runs May–August, when most of the year's rain falls.

Pacific typhoon
Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is April a good time to visit Shanghai?

Our two travel scores rate April for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

5.9
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
2.8
Beach & pool
7th-best month of the year

April is a reasonable time to visit Shanghai for sightseeing.

What to pack for Shanghai in April

From April's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In April, Shanghai sees daytime highs around 19°C and nights near 12°C. Worth packing: rain gear and sun protection. About 10 days see rain.

rain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Shanghai in April

The nearest coast averages about 14°C in April — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 23 km away) is warmest in August at about 28°C and coldest in February near 7°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from May 27 to Oct 25 — about 5 months when the water holds above 20°C.

10°20°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan8Bracing
Feb7Bracing
Mar10Bracing
Apr14Bracing
May19Cool
Jun22Refreshing
Jul26Warm
Aug28Warm
Sep26Warm
Oct21Refreshing
Nov17Cool
Dec12Bracing

UV index in Shanghai in April

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in April peaks around 7 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Shanghai peaks around August 16 at about 10 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 3 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 11 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highModerateAug 16UV 10Dec 19UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar6High
Apr7High
May7Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug10Very high
Sep10Very high
Oct5Moderate
Nov4Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Shanghai in April

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where April falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Shanghai is worst in December — around 53 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 2.2× the cleanest month (August, 25 µg/m³).

Seasonal pattern from CAMS reanalysis, scaled to Shanghai's WHO annual average of 37.7 µg/m³.

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecPoorModeratePoorDec 2153 µg/m³Aug 1625 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan51Poor
Feb45Poor
Mar44Poor
Apr40Poor
May34Moderate
Jun29Moderate
Jul27Moderate
Aug25Moderate
Sep28Moderate
Oct32Moderate
Nov43Poor
Dec53Poor
Location & terrain

Where is Shanghai?

Shanghai sits at 31.2°N, 121.5°E, 12 m above sea level, in China. The nearest listed city is Suzhou, 83 km away.

TunxiGaigeturi

Topography around Shanghai

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Shanghai.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Shanghai has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 30 m around an average of 6 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 55 m; within 80 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 158 m.

The land around Shanghai is covered by artificial surfaces (86%) within 3 km, artificial surfaces (73%) within 16 km, and water (39%), cropland (29%) and artificial surfaces (22%) within 80 km.

3 km
30 m
16 km
55 m
80 km
158 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
April weather nearby: Suzhou 83 km · Wuxi 118 km · Ningbo 150 km · Hangzhou 161 km · Pingyao 169 km · Nanjing 270 km · Tunxi 345 km · Gaigeturi 520 km

China travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type A / I
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 47% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$13,862
2025
Happiness
6.1 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
0.5
per 100k, 2020
Road deaths
17.4
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 464
Religion
unaffiliated 52%folk religion 22%Buddhist 18%Christian 5%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Shanghai (31.2222°, 121.4581°, elevation 12 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).